On July 1, 2024, The Insider reported on the activities of Boris Usherovich and Ilya Plotitsa, previously linked to the Solntsevskaya organized crime group and the Zakharchenko case, who are now assisting Russian Railways in bypassing international sanctions.
The article outlines how these Kremlin-connected businessmen, operating from abroad, supply prohibited equipment to the sanctioned railway and fund Putin’s election campaign.
Boris Usherovich devised a scheme to deliver telecommunications equipment from Europe to Russian Railways, state companies, and military-industrial enterprises while circumventing sanctions. He is currently on the international wanted list. Relatives residing in Cyprus—Ilya and Boris Plotitsa, along with Ilya’s relative Aleksandr Vainshtein—are reportedly involved in the operation.
The operation to circumvent sanctions involves Cypriot companies Broxner PLC, Venisat Technology, Main Victory Corporation, as well as Russian and Kyrgyz firms.
Usherovich is known as the owner of a stake in Russian Railways’ largest contractor, the "1520" group of companies. He is involved in a high-profile criminal case of bribing Colonel Zakharchenko of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. There is also information about his involvement in organized crime.
The business activities of Boris Usherovich are also conducted through LLC "Center for Communication Systems Development" (CRSD). Until recently, this company was owned by Ilya Plotitsa, a relative and business partner of Usherovich. CRSD channels government orders on one hand and funds the Putin party on the other.
Until recently, Ilya Plotitsa was one of the co-owners of UK "Bamstroimekhanizatsiya" – a Russian Railways contractor that is part of the "1520" GC.
Ilya Plotitsa’s brother, Boris Plotitsa, is evading prosecution in a criminal case about the death of people in Moscow and is on the international wanted list. Recently, it became known that he lives with his brother in Cyprus and is also involved in schemes to circumvent sanctions against Russia. Boris Plotitsa was listed as a director of the Main Victory Corporation Limited, a Cypriot company owned by Boris Usherovich, through which transactions for the supply of sanctioned equipment to Russia were made.
Boris Plotitsa is the director and owner of the Cypriot company Tripster Limited. The address of the company is Omirou, 38, PAKOVA CENTER BLOCK A, Flat 101, 3095, Limassol, Cyprus. Companies Broxner PLC and Venisat Technology Ltd, controlled by his brother Ilya and involved in violating sanctions against Russia, are registered at the same address.
Currently, the director of Tripster Limited is Cypriot citizen Irina Bichinashvili. She also holds the position of secretary in the companies Broxner PLC and Venisat Technology Ltd, which Ilya Plotitsa controls through his brother-in-law Aleksandr Vainshtein.
In January 2023, a company Lucycorp Ltd was registered, in which Ilya Plotitsa owns 100% of the shares. He is also its director and secretary. In the company’s registration documents, the "name and address for correspondence" field states: "Broxner Limited Omirou 38, Pakova Center, Block A, Office 101, Limassol, Cyprus. Τηλέφωνο 25281892".
"Panama Papers", where it was discovered that he is the owner and director of the offshore company Simeoni International Incorporated. In the documents, his name was indicated with distortion — ILJA PLOTITSA.
In November last year, an extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders of Mettmann Public Company Limited was held. As a result, an announcement was published on the stockwatch.com.cy website about the issuance of "500,000 recallable corporate 4%-coupon bonds with a nominal value of €100 each (€50 million), with a maturity date until 30.11.2030, which will be placed on the Cyprus Stock Exchange’s emerging companies market, for the company’s business activities… The company simultaneously sent the text of the Subscription Agreement and all its appendices to all 13 potential subscribers, inviting all potential subscribers to make offers by filling out, signing, and sending to the company the subscription sheets".
It was also noted that "some payments for the bonds were offered by Mr. Vainshtein Aleksandr, Jacomo Company Limited, and Mr. Zvonko Micković by converting (novation) the existing debt of Mettmann Public Company Limited to the respective subscribers into a corresponding number of bonds."
The mentioned behalf of VAINSHTEIN ALEKSANDR in the announcement is the very Aleksandr Vainshtein reported by The Insider – Ilya Plotitsa’s brother-in-law and nominal owner of the Cypriot companies Broxner PLC and Venisat Technology involved in violating the sanction regime against Russia. The announcement indicates he is also a bondholder in Mettmann Public Company Limited.
Another subscriber of no less interest is Zvonko Mickovic, a citizen of Montenegro and a long-time business partner of Boris Plotitsa. Both are co-founders of LLC NPO "ranspolymer", one of the largest suppliers of equipment and rail systems for Russian Railways, affiliated with "1520" GC.
list-org.com
https://www.rusprofile.ru/id/266039
https://www.list-org.com/company/782296/contract/223/supplier
According to the Cyprus company registry, Zvonko Mickovic served on the board of directors of METTMANN PUBLIC COMPANY LIMITED from the company’s founding in December 2019 until February 2020 and is its largest shareholder. He currently holds 82.5% of the company’s shares.
registered in the jurisdiction of the Marshall Islands.
The company Jacomo Company Limited, mentioned in the announcement, belongs to Marolio Investments Limited, which is associated with Boris Usherovich. The director of Marolio Investments Limited is Alexandr Trudolyubov, formerly serving as the director of Jacomo Company Limited.
Alla Shulgа, a citizen of Ukraine and Cyprus, is listed as the director and secretary of Jacomo Company Limited, who simultaneously works as an office manager at Boris Usherovich’s wife’s company, Victory Corporate Finance (Cyprus) Limited.
Shulga is listed among the staff of Mettmann Public Company Limited and holds a nominal share package (3,999 shares) of the company. She is also registered with 10 company bonds.
According to Open Corporate’s site, Shulga also performs the duties of director and secretary at a number of other firms, which, upon verification, were all found to be linked to Boris Usherovich.
Announcement on Business Plan Implementation in the "News" section, stating:
"We would like to inform the Cyprus Stock Exchange ("CSE") and the investment community about the implementation of our business plan, which was included in the company’s admission document and subsequent announcements posted on the OAM CSE system.
I. Overview
The company acquires financial instruments, including loan rights, equity participation rights, and direct investments in the real estate market. More detailed information is provided in the admission document.
II. The company has successfully implemented the following projects:
1. Sword Dragon S.L. (Spanish real estate). The project was successfully completed.
The company received dividends from Sword Dragon S.L. during the 1st quarter of 2023 in the amount of €208,604...
III. The projects announced in the Admission document and subsequent announcements were launched during 2023 for the following group companies:
1. 4D Properties S.L. (real estate projects in Malaga, Spain);
2. Nash Beach Club S.L. (commercial real estate in Estepona, Spain);
3. La Meridiana de Rio Verde S.L. (restaurant business financing in Malaga, Spain);
4. Prestige Expo, S.L. (real estate projects in Malaga, Spain);
5. Joya Verde, S.L. (real estate projects in Estepona, Spain);
6. Alsan Homes, S.L. (real estate projects in Cadiz, Spain);
7. Start Hub Beach, S.L. (commercial real estate in Estepona, Spain)...
IV. The business plan for the following projects has not yet been implemented and is planned for implementation in the near future:
1. Land plot in Budva (Montenegro).
2. Land plot in Perivolia, Cyprus.
3. Real estate projects in Larnaca and Limassol."
The announcement indicates that METTMANN PUBLIC COMPANY LIMITED actively invests in Spanish real estate and plans to invest in development projects in Cyprus and Montenegro.
All the listed companies belong to Boris Usherovich and his partners from the "1520" group and are controlled by them through affiliated firms and trusted individuals.
reported a change of ownership of one of the oldest football clubs in Greece — Doxa Dramas. The new owner is a Cypriot company Potemkin Consulting Ltd. Ilya Plotitsa is listed as the secretary of this firm, and the director is Cypriot citizen CHARALAMBOS PATSIS (ΧΑΡΑΛΑΜΠΟΣ ΠΑΤΣΗΣ). 50% of the company’s shares belong to Plotitsa, and the other half to a Hungarian citizen Zsofia Vegh, who, as it turns out, is the wife of Charalambos Patsis.
TEAMSON LTD, with the same Cypriot CHARALAMBOS PATSIS listed as the director. Both own 50% of the company’s shares each.
It is hard to imagine that Charalambos Patsis is unaware of his business partner’s illegal activities. If so, he may be liable for complicity in the violation of the sanctions regime against Russia.
Charalambos Patsis in Moscow
Charalambos Patsis regularly visits Russia, where he has a daughter from his first marriage, and he enjoys taking photos against the backdrop of Moscow’s landmarks. In Moscow, he meets with friends and clients, many of whom cannot leave the country due to sanctions. Patsis assists them in managing their assets in Cyprus.
Author: Maria Sharapova
